A veil of brightness

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

The story of a man with a question. The story of a girl who made a wish.

235BC: A young goatherd from Palmyra encounters a mysterious stranger and makes an ill-advised request. Her wish is granted and our world is changed.

170BC: Pamphilos of the Ardiae has spent ten years of his life sailing to every corner of the Aegean in search of an Oracle who can tell him what he needs to know. Tonight, his travels come to an end, and his question is answered.

Information

Status
Completed
Year
2025
Author
ptmesis

Tags

FEMALE LEADHISTORICALSCI-FIMYSTERYHARD SCI-FI

Royal Road Stats

Rating
4.4/ 5.0
Followers
38
Views
3,066

Chapters(3 total)

Reviews

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Community Reviews(2)

  • A.TanabeRoyal Road
    ★★★★★ 5.0
    I thought it would have been some boring recounting of someone’s experience, but I knew I was proven wrong when I read Frankenstein as a teenager and knew that this might be another one of those experiences again.
    This recounting of a man’s journey to find out the truth about what had happened to him and those he loved is a way to challenge our perceptions of asking questions and understanding our fellow persons.
    The characters of the oracle and Pamphilos showed how some people change throughout their lives and resign to their fates when it makes sense to them.
    I don’t think this perception encapsulates all of what this story has to offer, and I hope that others see what I didn’t see in this tale.
  • One-eyed MikeRoyal Road
    ★★★★★ 5.0
    I stumbled on this short story, and was immediately pulled into it.
    The strange story of the girl from Palmyra who became the lady of the Oracle. And the sad story of the distraught man from Illyria who came to ask for help... and truth.
    And suddenly there's so much more. A great story, well thought through - following the logic of oracular powers.
    The background feels genuine, based on real countries at the edges of the expanding Roman Empire. But not a Roman in sight. It's about the Eastern Mediterranean area - Palmyra, Sardis, Illyria and Naxos.
    The societies have depth, and feel real, right down to the awful realities of slavery and of poverty.
    Well done, author